


Cavemen II:  Pallas Cat

by StBridget



Series: Cavemen [2]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Caves, Fluff, Gen, Wilderness Survival, pallas cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 12:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20545826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StBridget/pseuds/StBridget
Summary: Lost in the Himalayas, Mac and Jack find a cave. Unfortunately, someone's already there.  Pallas cat version





	Cavemen II:  Pallas Cat

**Author's Note:**

> MacGyver is property of CBS and its creators.
> 
> When I wrote the snow leopard version, I got to thinking "What if it was a Pallas Cat instead?" So, you get that, too.

“How much further do we have to go, Mac? We’ve been walking for hours, and I’m freezing. I’m not sure I can feel my fingers anymore,” Jack whined.

Mac paused, leaning against a boulder. He watched the falling snow fill up their footsteps. At least that would make it harder for the bad guys to follow them. Unfortunately, it also made it harder to tell where Mac and Jack had already been. Not that it mattered; they were in the Himalayas; the only way forward was up.

“I don’t know, Jack,” Mac snapped. Jack had been whining constantly for the past hour, and Mac was losing patience. “Keep your hands in your pockets if they’re that cold.”

“You don’t have to bite my head off,” Jack said, stopping next to Mac.

Mac sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m cold and tired, too. Keep your eye out for a cave or at least an overhang. There’s not much to make a fire, but maybe we can at least get some shelter.”

“I hope we find one soon,” Jack said.

“Me, too.”

They kept slogging, but there was nothing except falling snow in front of them, a cliffside to one side, and a sheer, several thousand foot drop-off on the other. Just as they were about to give up hope, Mac spotted a break in the cliffside.

“Here,” Mac said. “Looks like a cave.”

“Oh, thank God,” Jack said. He pushed ahead of Mac. “Let me go first, just in case.” He pulled out his flashlight and carefully shined it around the cave. It was fairly deep; the flashlight only illuminated a circle near the front; there were still dark corners. Jack crept forward slowly, sweeping the light to illuminate the corners as best as he could. The light picked up a pile of fur and bones in one corner, but was otherwise empty. “Looks like this might be a den,” Jack said.

“Well, hopefully, whatever it is will be more scared of us than we are of them,” Mac said. “At least it’s not home.”

“Right.” Jack moved to put his flashlight away, but stopped when the pile shifted. “Oh, shit, I don’t think we’re that lucky.”

Mac peered over Jack’s shoulder. “What is it?”

Jack frowned, trying to make out the shape in the beam of the flashlight. “Not sure. Looks like a ball of fur with legs.”

Jack was right. The animal was about the size of a medium-sized dog but appeared to be mostly fur. A round face, whiskers, and two fuzzy ears stuck out of the mess of fur. Mac’s first thought was that they’d fallen down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, because it sure looked a lot like a Cheshire cat, and not the friendly Disney version. Mac wracked his brain. “I think it’s a Pallas cat.”

“Is it friendly?” Jack asked, frozen in place. The Pallas cat hissed. “Okay, that’s a no.”

“Well, I wouldn’t take it home and cuddle it, but it’s probably not going to rip our throats out,” Mac said.

Jack still didn’t move. “I’m not sure that’s comforting, Mac.”

Mac rummaged in his pack and came up with a bit of beef jerky. He gave it to Jack. “Here, give this to it. Maybe it’ll appease it.”

“I’m not getting near that thing!” Jack said, slightly hysterical.

“I’m not saying you should,” Mac assured him. Just place it nearby.”

Jack inched forward. The cat hissed again. Jack placed the jerky on the floor and retreated.

The Pallas cat came forward slowly, nose twitching as it scented the offering. It nibbled at the jerky, then lifted its head up, nose still twitching. It started approaching Mac and Jack.

“Uh, what’s it doing now?” Jack asked, nervously.

“I’m not sure.”

The cat approached them and let out a mewl.

“I think he wants more jerky,” Mac said.

“Well, give it to him!”

Mac set his pack down gently. The Pallas cat immediately began rooting through it. It soon found the package of beef jerky and tore into it, ignoring Mac and Jack.

“Do you think that means we can stay?” Jack asked.

“I guess so.”

They gave the Pallas cat a wide berth and settled against the wall of the cave. It was still freezing, but at least they were out of the wind and snow. They watched the cat polish off the beef jerky. When the jerky was all gone, it waddled over to them, plopped down in front of them, and started purring.

“Will you look at that?” Jack said in awe. “I think it likes us.”

“I still wouldn’t take it home.”

“You don’t think Matty will believe it followed us home?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Mac said.

“Too bad,” Jack said, wistfully. “It’s kind of cute.”

Mac chuckled. “That it is.” He leaned his head back against the cave wall and closed his eyes. “Might as well try to get some sleep.”

“Might as well.” Jack followed suit. Soon, both men followed the cat into slumber, and all three slept peacefully through the night.

**Author's Note:**

> My dad thinks Pallas cats look like the original Cheshire cat. There's one at a sanctuary near us. He's so cute!


End file.
